Method of manufacturing stopper rods



Patented Nov. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OFMANUFACTURING STOPPER RODS 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the method of manufacturingstopper rods for hot metal ladles and the like, and more particularly toa one-piece forged rod therefor.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to manufacture stopper rodsbyforming the lower or stopper plug end and the upper or refractory sleevereceiving portion separately, and then Weld the same together. Suchpractice is expensive and the resulting product contains a region ofweakness at the weld which has necessitated too frequent replacement ofrods in order to insure safety and continued performance.

My invention contemplates the manufacture of a one-piece stopper rodhaving a forged stopper plug end formed by a minimum number of steps andat minimum cost, and thereby forming a rod free of the inherent weaknessformerly present in the two-piece welded rod.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, showing a stopper rodassembly employing the stopper rod manufactured in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the forging dies employed in the presentmethod, showing said dies in initial receiving position;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 2, showing the first forging step;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, partly broken away to show theforging step of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line -VIVI of Fig. 3, showingthe dies and blank in position for the second forging operation;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a' view like Fig. 6, illustrating the second forging step;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the third and final forging step; and

Fig. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the finished stopperrod end.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a stopper rod assembly,includin a one-piece stopper rod 2 formed in the manner of my invention,said rod having an upper threaded end 3, employed for suspending andactuating the stopper rod assembly in the usual manner in relation tothe pouring nozzle of a hot metal ladle or the like. The lower end ofthe rod 2 is formed with an upset head 4, an axial recess 5, anddiametrically disposed key slots 8. The recess 5 receives a stopper headpin I, which pin is slotted and secured to the stopper rod by means of athrough key 8 extending between the key slots 5. A stopper plug 9 issecured to the lower end of the stopper rod 2 by means of said pin I,and following the attachment of said plug, the rod 2 receives a seriesof refractory sleeves l0 telescoped thereover for protection of the rodand the stopper plug connection from the heat of the molten metal.

My invention has to do with the method of forming the stopper rod 2 froma one-piece blank or rod stock 2, one end of which is threaded asindicated at 3, and-the other end being forged to provide the attachingmeans for the stopper plug 9. My method includes the followingsequential steps in forging the lower end of thestopper rod.

One end of the steel blank 2 is heated to forging temperature and placedwithin a three-part die, consisting of complemental dies A and B, and aheader or upsetting die C. All of said dies have coacting meansproviding upper and lower forging stations, as hereinafter set forth,said dies being operable in a horizontal plane by a suitable press, thedies A and B moving inwardly toward each other, and the die C inwardlytoward dies A and B.

In the upper and initial forging station, the header die C is providedwith an upwardly open pocket ll adapted to receive and support the endof the blank 2 whereby said blank may be inserted in a horizontalposition between the dies A and B, the latter being provided withcomplemental rounded forging projections l2 adapted to engage the blankinwardly of its end on opposite sides of the diameter thereof.

Upon initially closing the dies A and B, as determined by their meetingfaces IS, the forging projections l2 squeeze and indent the blank 2 inthe manner illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, thereby forming depressions orpockets M on opposite sides of said blank.

The blank 2* is then rotated through degrees about its longitudinal axisand is lowered into the second or lower forging station of the dies, inthe relation shown in Figs. 6 and '7. At such station, the header die Cis provided with an upsetting cavity l5, receiving the end of the blank,and dies A and B are provided with semi-cylindrical pockets l6 embracingthe blank upon closing the dies A and B during the second forgingoperation, the pockets 1 6 extending throughout the dies A and Bparallel with the longitudinal axis of the blank 2 for an appreciabledistance on either side of the region of the depressions [4 formedtherein.

Horizontal key punches I! are provided in each of the dies A and Bextending centrally within the pockets l6 and aligned to diametricallyenter the blank '4! substantially at right angles to and in the regionof the depressions [4.

Hence, upon closing the dies A and B during the second forgingoperation, the key punches l1 enter the blank 2* in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 8, the die pockets [6 embracing that portion of thedie being forged, and the displacement of metal by the key punchesflowing toward and filling out the depressions M in the blank 2*.

With the blank 2 held in dies A and B in the aforesaid manner, with thekey punches I! entered therein, the header or upsetting die is movedtoward and into engagement with the adjacent ends of the dies A and B,whereby the recess IS in die 0 upsets the end of the blank 2 to form thehead or terminal 4 having a diameter greater than that of the blank 2.

The key punches I 1 enter and slot the blank 2 for a sufficient distanceradially inward thereof so that the slots formed thereby are intersectedupon drilling the recess 5 in the finished stopper rod 2, the drilledend of said finished rod being illustrated in Fig. 10.

By the method of my invention, the stopper plug end of the stopper rodis formed in a minimmn number of operations, the forging steps thereofbeing accomplished during the initial heat of the blank, making itunnecessary to repeatedly heat the same for the successive forgingoperafacilitating the handling and forging of the elongate rods withoutemploying shorter sections thereof as was deemed necessary in priorpractice, particularly with respect to the stopper plug end of suchrods, as to which it was deemed necessary to provide the same in shortlengths to effeet the forging operations thereon.

A comparison of the present method with the said prior practiceemphasizes the considerable saving effected, due to the elimination ofrepeated heating steps and the final Welding operation for securing theseparate rod lengths together. Actual production of a lot of similarrods by the present and former methods shows a cost saving of overpercent.

Various changes and modifications are contemplated within the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. The herein described method of forming a one-piece stopper rod forladles and the like, including heating one end of an elongate blank toforging temperature, indenting the said heated end of the blank uponopposite sides, then partially slotting said blank inwardly fromopposite sides thereof at right angles to and in the region of saidindentations, upsetting the extreme end portion of the blank adjacentsaid region to form a head of enlarged diameter, and longitudinallydrilling the said end of the blank to intersect the slots formedtherein.

2. The herein described method of forminga one-piec stopper rod forladles and the like, including heating one end of an elongate blank toforging temperature, indenting the said heated end of the blank uponoppostie sides, partially slotting said blank inwardly from oppositesides Y thereof at right angles to and in the region of saidindentations by entering key punches therein, upsetting the extreme endof said blank While retaining the key punches in the blank to form ahead of enlarged diameter, and longitudinally drilling the said end ofthe blank to intersect the slots formed therein.

JACOB T. LABADIE.

